Blog | 43 - Don't Make a Meol Out of It
| bokeh photographic (Alistair Grant): Food & Drink Photographer; Commercial Photographer, Product Photographer & Packshot Photographer; Event Photographer; Portrait Photographer; Corporate Photographer & PR Photographer; Engagement Photographer & Wedding Photographer and Photography Training Courses in Cambridge, Huntingdon, Peterborough, Bedford, St Neots, St Ives and London. Freelance Photographer & Freelance Photography Services in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and across the UK. | |||
 
|
Alistair Grant Freelance Photographer Cambridge & London |
||
|
bokeh photographic: Blog No: 43 → TIP: Click any image to view in LightBox |
|
||
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
Don't Make a Meol Out of It I’m starting the first blog of the New Year with a play on words to highlight an important quality that any decent photographer should possess although, it has to be said, unfortunately a characteristic that is increasingly underappreciated and overlooked in modern photography. The particular attribute is observation; the ability to notice things, especially significant details. Observational skills are critically important in photography. For example, observation is needed to pick out relevant features that will act as the focal point in a given photograph and then there is observing that everything is present and correct (as compared to the client's photography brief) when shooting a commercial photography assignment. However, as I have noted before – in fact, as far back as Blog No: 3 – one of the most striking aspects of watching people take photographs is that people generally rush into taking an exposure. Any observation is superficial and fleeting as signified by the fact that most people take a photograph, standing up, rooted to the exact spot where they stopped walking. When I refer to this as holiday snap photography it’s not meant as a compliment. Paradoxically, working in holiday snap mode can often over-complicate matters. Most often this is because inexperienced photographers (although the problem certainly isn’t limited to amateur photographers) feel they then need to let rip with apps, plug-ins and filters etc. in post-production in order to make the resulting image more dynamic and interesting. You probably don’t need to be told this rarely works. This is the inspiration for my play on words. To make a meal out of something is to spend more time and effort on a task then the task actually warrants. I should emphasise that I am referring to photographic ‘afterthoughts’. Many issues encountered in photography would be avoided if people put sufficient forethought into an image before pressing the shutter button or, for that matter, before even picking up the camera. This is one of the essential disciplines taught on the bokeh photographic Photography Training Courses. In terms of incorporating this into my own photography I have long been fascinated by features of the landscape in which we live. However, in 2018 I’m making an extra effort to pick out and if possible understand features that aren’t immediately obvious after catching up on the writings of, amongst others, Robert Macfarlane and Dominick Tyler. Having grown up on the coast I take every opportunity to spent time by the seaside and a particular favourite are the vegetated sand dunes running down the East coast of England. Known colloquially as ‘Meals’ in Norfolk this type of habitat is mostly known as a ‘Meol’ (hence the play on words) although you will also find them termed ‘Melles’, ‘Males’ and ‘Miels’ elsewhere in the UK. Although the marram grass shot in the sunset golden hour with the pink winter sky reflected in the sea is a simple composition, it is by no means understated despite minimal post-production. Although I concede photographers are rarely afforded such luxury, I spent two days observing the dunes whist walking the coast paths. Thanks to observation and forethought I knew that this was the shot I was after at least 24 hours before I even took the camera out of the kitbag. |
|||
|
Call Alistair Grant on 07775 365507, Email [email protected] or click Booking Enquiries if you have any questions or would like to make a booking. |
|||
|
bokeh: "the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens" Freelance Photographer offering Food & Drink Photography Cambridge; Commercial Photography Cambridge, Product Photography Cambridge & Packshot Photography Cambridge; Event Photography Cambridge; Portrait Photography Cambridge; Corporate Photography Cambridge & PR Photography Cambridge; Engagement Photography Cambridge & Wedding Photography Cambridge and Photography Training Courses in Cambridge. Also covering: Huntingdon, St. Ives, Ramsey, St. Neots, Peterborough, Bedford, Stamford, Newmarket, Sawtry, Alconbury Weston, Brampton, Hartford, Warboys, Houghton, Wyton, Godmanchester, Hilton, Hemingford Grey, Hemingford Abbots, Fenstanton, Whittesley, Yaxley, Needingworth, Somersham, Chatteris, Ely, Bar Hill, Grafham and Buckden. |
|
||
|
bokeh photographic - Alistair Grant | Freelance Photographer | Cambridge, London, UK Food & Drink Photography | Commercial Photography & Product Photography | Corporate Photography & PR Photography | Portrait Photography (inc. 'Active Portraiture', 'Naturally You' & 'Poptraits') | Event Photography | Engagement & Wedding Photography | Photography Training Courses & Camera Tuition | Videography & Film Production Tel: 07775 365507 | Email: [email protected] |
|||
